To Bear a Burden
by ShikaRoX-LOL
Summary: When one has lost something, who will they turn to? What's left but emptiness? In this story, you'll find that not all hope is lost...NejiTen NaruSaku ShikaIno KibaHina, possibly more if reviews are submitted! New chapter! PLEEEEEEAASE READ!
1. Broken Hope

Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, Temari and Orochimaru would be my personal footstools. Buahahaha….ha….ha-ha. I'M NOT FUNNY! GIVE ME A BREAK!

Well, this is my first chapter story! It will have most (if not all) of my favorite pairings, so please, don't discriminate. Enough talking, you fool! Let's go!

To Bear a Burden

Chapter 1

'To the left.'

He jumped out of the way of a stray kunai. His long, gorgeous tresses swooped gracefully to the side.

"Where's your concentration!" He demanded. His all-seeing eyes squinted with irritation. All week his training partner and sole companion had been slipping. She had been perched so high upon her throne, she was the elite!

And yet…

'From above.' He once again, for the billionth time that week evaded her futile endeavor. That just made her feel like crap.

"What's wrong with you?" Hyuuga Neji landed on a knee, with no sound at all.

"What makes you THINK there's ANYTHING wrong with me?" TenTen queried angrily.

"You're missing too much. You never miss." He stated simply. "Usually, by now, I would almost be out of chakra. However, I haven't had to use kaiten once."

"If you're so eager to be ripped in two, why shouldn't I have a nice slice of Neji pie and do it for you!" She screamed at the top of her very capable lungs.

"Neji…pie?" He looked at her like she had just swallowed a live panda whole.

"It's called sarcasm, asshole." She spat.

"Iidaro." He chose to ignore his new nickname. Before he could stop himself, he said, "I'm just a little worried about you…is…is something the matter, TenTen? Is there something I should know?" Apparently, it was the right thing to say.

"Neji…" She was astonished that the living icicle in front of her was capable of feeling such things. She sighed and started to explain. "I…I don't feel…that I'm good enough, strong enough. I feel so…so…weak. I'm…inadequate…obsolete…inept…I'm useless.It was enough when we were genin, but…everyone's changed and I…I…haven't. It's not enough, Neji! It's not enough! I'm…not…enough…" She could barely finish her sentence because right then, right there, she broke out in uncontrollable, bottled up sobs. For every time she was struck down and held strong, she sobbed. "I'm…so disgusting!" she cried, falling to her knees. "I've worked so hard to get their respect, all my life, I've worked so hard, and for naught! I'm sorry, Neji! I'm a disgrace! I'm of no more use to you now! Neji…I'm so sorry Neji…" Her shoulders shook uncontrollably as her fingernails scraped desperately at the earth.

He felt tempted to slap her.

"TenTen…" he dropped to his knees and looked her in the eye, "TenTen, look at me." She did so reluctantly. She looked up with tears in her eyes to see wonderful lavender orbs. If she wasn't so distraught, she would have gotten lost in those eyes which not even the smallest nuance could hide from. "You are the only one I would ever train with. Do you know why?" The defeated, hopeless look in her chocolatey eyes answered his question for him. "It is because you are the most formidable opponent I have ever faced." Her eyes exploded with bewilderment. Surely he was lying! There was positively no way he could ever be telling the truth! But, as she searched his eyes for any miniscule trace of dishonesty or perjury…but had no such luck. "You instill such fear in me, and no matter how I try, I cannot get you to stay down. I am not able to make you show fear. No matter what technique I learn, you won't be afraid or back down. Your face always shows such determination every time; it makes me think you're going to kill me. I cannot make you fear me, no matter what I do. TenTen, you amaze me with your grace and skill. You have such precise aim I could never hope to have. Your taijutsu is powerful and so unpredictable…you never cease to impress me." He said it with a sincerity that was so caring and sweet; it was almost painful to listen. The last part of the sentence, the most astonishing to hear left her gaping. He was always so cold…but she could feel the warmth radiating off him in waves.

"A…Arigato…Neji." That was all she could say. She was dumbstruck.

'Neji! Dammit! Dammit all to hell! I worked so hard not to fall for you, you bastard! Damn you! Damn you to hell! I…I love you…Neji. Damn.'

And so it begins…

End Chappie 1


	2. Aniki

Chapter 2:  
Aniki 

It was a gorgeous, merry, _happy_ day and everything in sight was _happy_, bucktoothed and bouncing up and down, up and down, up and down with _absolutely no_ sign of tiring whatsoever. TenTen pranced gaily through the_ happy_ bustling town square as everyone greeted her _happily_ with _happy_ smiles on their painfully _happy_ faces. Even the sun was happy and cheerful with its _happy_ pink sunglasses and goofy, _happy_ grin. Everything was lovely colorful and _happy_ and... whoops...wrong story.

TenTen dragged herself through the deserted village and sweated almost every last drop of perspiration from her dreary body. The village was full of melting, drippy color and the buildings faltered and drooped from utter over-exertion. Even the sun seemed exhausted and just barely managed to vomit up its seering, sticky rays of defeated sunshine upon the unexpecting citizens and our poor, defenseless, innocent ninja assasin friends.

Everything sucked.

"I _hate_ today. I wonder where Neji is...I hope he's dying in a vat of chunky peanut butter. He's allergic to peanuts. Ha ha...dweeb"  
Our _lovely_ flower murmured to herself. Little did she know a certain lanky chunnin was listening to her death wish. (Care to guess?)

"Is he now?" said teenager mumbled with interest. TenTen whirled around to see our favorite (My favorite, hence ShikaRoX -LOL)  
Shikamaru meandering towards her, stopping a couple of feet away. He smirked and raised an ebony eyebrow. His smirk reminded her so much of another's...

"Yeah...stupid ain't it? When he eats a peanut he like, starts choking and like, dying...It's HILARIOUS!", our mouse-eared heroine managed to squeeze out between her bouts of uncontrollable laughter. He shook his head, chuckling unbelievingly.

"You have a VERY interesting sense of humor. Listen... I need a girl's advice on something..."

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SOMEWHERE THAT IS NOT HERE

(More commonly known as "meanwhile")

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"WELL? _WHAT_ DO YOU HAVE TO SAY FOR YOURSELF?" screamed a very angry man.

"...I-I don't...I don't think N-Niisan-"

"_WHY_ ARE YOU CALLING HIM THAT? HE'S NOT EVEN WORTHY OF A _NAME_, THAT ABOMINATION! HE'S JUST TRYING TO ENTICE YOU OUT OF YOUR POSITION AS HEIRESS WITH BROTHERLY BEHAVIOR! HE'S USING YOUR TIMID AND TRUSTING NATURE AGAINST YOU! CAN'T YOU SEE HE DOESN'T TRULY VALUE YOU AS A HUMAN BEING?"

_'Neither do you...father'_ she thought to herself. She could feel tears burning her sealed eyelids.

"**Lies**!" shouted Neji. His headband and the bandages covering his curse were sprawled on the floor, and his dark chocolate tresses lay, unwound on his shoulders and across his flawless, bare back. "I only think of Hinata-sama as a sister! SHE'S MY FLESH AND BLOOD, AND I WILL CARE FOR HER AS SUCH!" He whipped his head over towards her, hair flying into his face and falling obediently back into place. His eyebrows knit together in worry, "You don't believe him do you? You _know_ I care about you as if we were really siblings don't you...Neechan?" She gasped and a little smile found it's way onto her crying face.

"_How dare_ you adress Hinata-Sama in such an informal fashion, _branch member_!", one of the guards holding him back yelled. He had one on each arm. Not even Neji could tear away, but he did give them hell. He jerked violently forward, sending the weaker guard to his knees.

"Shut up! **_Let me go!_** Hinata-Sama! Tell him the truth! Tell him what you told me! Gah...**AAAAAHHGGHHH**!" He fell to the ground squirming and writhing in agonizng pain. His seal burned green.

"NO! FATHER, STOP! You'll kill him! Stop! Stop _please_, father, stop! PLEASE! PLEASE!..._Please_...stop...please...he's all I have don't kill him, please!" She sobbed in desperation. Her well-trimmed fingernails scraped the linoleum floor as she knew what she had to do. "I'll do _anything_! Anything you want! I will spend every moment training to be a proper heir! Just...please...let Niisan go!" she yelled, determination and struggle burning within her soul. Her father nodded curtly, and she heard Neji gasp for air. She immedietly ran to her beloved cousin's side and took him in her arms, caressing his exposed back and crying into his dampened, disheveled hair,  
willing him to calm down as he lay, limp and broken and barely conscious in her lap.

"Don't cry, Hinata...Neechan...I'm...I'm...okay. Be strong...I-I know...you can do it." He murmured between labored breaths. He smiled weakly and fell asleep, chest heaving in exhaustion.

"Aniki...You're all I have. I _will_ go on.", she resolved, a new, fierce flame contrasting against pale lavender in her eyes.


End file.
